


Maybe I'm Waking Up Now

by kopescetic



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canon Non-Binary Character, F/F, Kid Fic, Lesbians in Space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:21:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24676822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopescetic/pseuds/kopescetic
Summary: For two ex-child soldiers turned war veterans, I love you was a hard phrase to say.It was hard for Catra to say it in the Heart of Etheria, when she thought they were going to die and a sense of urgency cut through the lump in her throat, and it's still hard seven years later.The years had made "I Love You"s more common, but not any easier.Or, FIve times Adora and Catra told Finn they loved them, and the one time they said it back
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 164
Collections: Finn Fics (She-Ra)





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Noticed a serious lack of Finn fics on here the other night, as well as a lack of a serious tag...its time that I step in

"Catra, I think your backpack is hungry."

It was their third space road trip (are there even roads in space? ) and you'd  _ think _ that by now they'd get the hang of it, or at least get the hang of not having a clue what they're doing. You'd think so, but you'd be wrong. 

The Best Friend Squad started the trip by making their usual rounds- traveling to nearby planets they were the most familiar with, visiting the Star Siblings wherever they could pick up their signature, and stopping by for an adventure or two. The first trip was to try and clean up after Horde Prime's mess, and restore magic back to planets that had been stripped of it, the second was to check on how reconstruction was working for some of the more destroyed planets. At this point, almost seven years to date since their first fateful space voyage, they were just going for the sake of discovery. 

They were at an old trading planet, mostly abandoned save for a few travelers who were passing through, but with a pleasant enough atmosphere and temperature that they could stop and refuel while enjoying some time outside of their cramped ship 

They were just packing up camp when Catra's backpack had started to meow.

"Uh, okay." Catra looked, laughing a little at what she thought was an attempted joke.

Adora fixed a stare at the backpack in question. "I'm  _ serious." _

"What do you mean it's  _ hungry _ " 

"It's  _ meowing _ . It sounds hungry."

"How can you tell?"

"Because those are the noises  _ you _ make when  _ you're _ hungry."

"Wha- I do not  _ meow. _ When have I ever Meowed?"

" _ Mmmrowwww" _

"Are you hungry, Catra? I think I have a granola bar around here somewhere…" Bow chimed in, rifling around in his own backpack

"It's not me!" 

Glimmer rolled her eyes, coming up next to Bow. "Catra, who  _ else _ would be meowing? Adora?"

"No, it's not her...it's her backpack.." Adora stared harder at the bag, moving to walk behind her wife to get a better view.

"Uh." Catra craned her head back, if a little awkwardly, to see what Adora was looking at. "Do you wanna. Open the backpack, maybe?"

" _ Oh _ " Adora said, as if she hadn't thought of that. "Hold on."

She unzipped the bag, just as the meowing started again. It got louder as soon as she opened it

"What?"

Suddenly, Adora gasped. Catra tried, but the she couldn't turn around far enough to see the contents of the bag. "What is it?"

Bow joined Adora in looking into the bag, and made the same sound. "Glimmer, you have to see this!"

" _ What?" _

"Awww!"

"Is anyone gonna tell me what it is, or should I just use my imagination?"

Adora pulled out the source of the meowing, a small kitten creature with sandy fur. It blinked passively at them, revealing vibrant blue eyes, before opening its mouth to unleash another "Meooooow"

"Aww, Hey little guy!" Bow folded up their picnic blanket and wrapped the child in it, before cradling it in his arms. 

"It's...so small!" Glimmer said, almost reverently, reaching out as if to touch the baby, but hesitating

"They look just like you did when  _ you _ were small, catra" 

"Did...is that…" Catra gave her Adora meaningful, panicked look, and she took a second to realise what she was trying to say before gasping, wide-eyed at the child. 

"I don't know- I mean. They don't...come out of backpacks, do they?"

"I don't know! I don't  _ think _ so"

"But where else would they come from?"

"Do you guys…" Glimmer tore herself away from the baby to address her friends "Do you think  _ you _ had this baby?"

Thwre was no point for Adora to deny it now; horde sex ed _sucked._

"Well, it's a  _ possibility, isn't it"  _

"What other cat people married to someome with  _ blonde _ hair and  _ blue _ eyes do you know? Do they come to abandoned planets and leave their babies there often?"

"Babies don't come from backpacks, Catra."

"Do you have any  _ better  _ theories, sparkles?"

Bow piped in with "Guys, I think it came from one of the travelers who passed by. Maybe they crawled into your backpack by accid-"

"Do you _not_ know where babies come from?" Glimmer interrupted

"Oh, of  _ course _ we do… we know a little….We don't. actually." Adora answered in her usual fashion

"It was always some vague nonsense about sleeping in the same bed together, and holding hands-"

"Catra  _ we do those things _ ."

"...wait so could we really have-"

" _ No" _ Glimmer stifled a smile, sharing a look with bow "Babies aren't- you didn't get catra pregnant."

"I didn't do  _ what _ ."

"You  _ can't  _ have babies together. Not physically."

"Why  _ not." _

"Yeah, we love each other!" Catra said indignantly, grabbing Adora's hand to hold, before recoiling, scared it may make babies happen again, and she can only handle like. One surprise child a day. She's setting a limit.

"Whenever I asked shadow weaver she would always say ' _ when a man and a woman love each other very much, the universe punishes them for being so weak by giving them a demon. That's what you are'" _

"Okay that's...clearly wrong."

"Well, I  _ know  _ that, but-"

"Mmmmmmrrrrrroooooooooowww"

"It's making the catra noise again." Bow wined, worried

"You can give it that granola bar then, Bow!"

"Adora...Babies don't eat granola."

"Then, what do they eat?"

"The souls of the innocent-"

"Catra,  _ No"  _ Glimmer sighed,running a hand through her hair. "Babies don't eat when theyre young. They drink their mother's milk."

"...how do the mothers get the milk?"

"They make it."

"...how"

"They...produce it."

"Sparkles, you  _ know _ I don't know this, you're gonna have to be more specific."

"They-"

Glimmer's face turned red in embarassment, and that look alone had almost made this whole ordeal worth it to Catra. Old habits die hard. 

" _ Go ask perfuma when we get back _ . I can't be the one to tell you." She said, flustered.

"What did you drink when you were little, catra?"

"Who remembers that-"

"Hordak invented a powder that, when you mix it with water, it becomes milk and you had that" Adora chimed in before Catra could finish. "He tried to feed you a ration bar at first but it...didn't work."

"Great! So when we get back we can ask him to figure it out again!"

"What about before? We're still a few days away from etheria, and really small cats have to be fed every 1-2 hours. Roughly."

"How do you _ know that _ ."

"Because that's what they did with you, and you're alive, so I guess it worked." 

When they finally arrived back to the ship, Bow handed the baby off to Adora. "I'm going to go ask Entrapta if she can figure out something. You stay here and make sure the baby's okay in case the ship...blows up. Inventing, ya know?"

Adora made a choked sound before the doors of the ship closed, leaving her, Catra, and a loudly mewling baby outside.

Adora had stars in her eyes as she looked down at the child.

Catra had the same expression, but she wasnt looking at the baby.

"What are we gonna call it?" She asked absently.

Adora thought about it for a long time, petting the soft fur between the baby's ears with her free hand. The baby blinked up at Adora curiously, with eyes like the ocean, then at Catra.

"Finn." Adora said finally, as if discovering it herself. "I wanna call the baby Finn."

"Why?" Catra asked, a little distractedly. The baby had wrapped its hand firmly around her index finger, so she was a little busy freaking out about  _ that _ for forever. 

"I'm not sure...i think it's from the First Ones… it doesn't translate directly, but it means something like 'found.'"

"Huh." Catra looked away from Finn to meet Adora's eyes, suddenly realising the smile that grew without her noticing. She didn't think she minded. "Hey, Finn."

Finn looked at her, and Catra thought the moment had meaning, before it let out another loud "mmmroooow", dissolving the situation.

Adora laughed, eyes scrunching up in the way that made Catra feel something swell in her chest. 

"I love you, Finn." Adora said to the baby, surprising even herself with the ease at which it came out.

For two ex-child soldiers turned war veterans, I love you was a hard phrase to say.

It was hard for Catra to say it in the Heart of Etheria, when she thought they were going to die and a sense of urgency cut through the lump in her throat. 

The years had made "I love you"s more common, but not any easier.  Only this time, miles away from home, next to her wife and two best friends, cradling this fragile, soft, delicate  _ thing _ , it wasn't hard. 

Adora felt protectiveness surge through her. She felt a tenderness that she had only learned in the most recent years of her life, she felt  _ love _ , and felt the urge to say it. And  Catra, struck by the gravity at which her wife had said it, and the strangeness by which it had come about, only saw fit to agree. 

"I love you." Catra said, half to the baby clutching her finger like a lifeline, and half to the woman in front of her, who she had said it to first, who she would probably say it to for the last time, whenever that came.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn has something to tell their moms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Shown: the millions of times Adora and Catra I love you a between when Finn was a baby and 5,,,,,,,,,

* * *

"Moms!" Finn marched into their room with an urgency that only five year olds walked around with.

"I have to tell you something."They announced

"Yeah, kid?" Catra barely looked up from her book, and ruffled their hair, locating their head without looking through sheer mom-instinct.

"So. You know how Auntie Glimmer is a she?"

"Yeah."

"And Uncle Bow is a he?-"

"Mhm." 

"-and how Double Trouble is a they?"

"Yep."

"I'm a they too."

"Okay" Catra said casually, messing up Finn's fur even further " Hey, Adora?" 

"Yeah?" Her wife yelled back.

"Finn says they're a They."

"Sounds good!" Adora yelled back, peeking her head into the room for a moment from the bathroom. "Are you still cool with us calling you Finn?"

"Yep! It's just the 'They' that's different."

"Okay! Thanks for telling me! I love you!"

" _ I  _ love you." 

"Well, it's not a  _ competition _ , Catra."

"It is now. May the best mom win."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter broke reality for me, so thats why its so short. 
> 
> It was just like,,,impossible for me to wrap my head around what a world without homophobia looks like in terms of coming out. I spent a solid 24 hours debating the ethics of Finn talking about it at all before realising,,,its probably not that deep lmao 
> 
> Longer update soon!


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn's first day of school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by the title "Auncle" , an unnecessary knowledge of royal titles, and a fatal flaw of random capitalisation. Enjoy!

* * *

"-And then my mom decided to save Auntie Glimmer, even though they didn't really get along that well because she was friends with my mama and she loved her-"

Finn's Teacher blinked, confused at her student, and a little apalled. Such a lack of ettiquette was unheard of, even in a village outside the kingdom, like they were in. 

"Do you mean....her royal highness, Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon???" She tried to correct her student, in case they made an error in front of the Queen, or one of her allies. She knew that they meant no harm, but she wasn't sure if royalty would be so forgiving.

"Oh yeah, her."

It was Finn's first day of school, and the class was going around, telling the best stories they knew. Most of the children told fairytales, or stories about their pets or family trips, but when it became their turn, Finn knew exactly what story they wanted to tell. 

"And then my Mom broke the universe- wait I think that was before- no yeah this is the time that my mom got mind controlled and had to fight my Mama against her will. They had fought before...like a lot. But this time she didn't  _ want  _ to and thats why its sad."

Finn wasn't the  _ best _ at talking, being six years old, but they were enthusiastic, giving everyone voices, and getting up out of the circle and acting out certain parts.

The class was completely riveted; kids that the teacher knew she would have trouble keeping behaved sat, wide-eyed as Finn talked. They were taking more time than the rest of the kids did, but the Teacher didn't really mind; this time was for the kids to express themselves however they wanted, and Finn was certainly expressive. 

"Who mind controlled her?" One of the girls in the class clutched her stuffed pegasus tighter and gasped, eyes widening.

"Uh. I dunno" Finn said, getting up off the ground where they were sitting and perching on a chair "Someone really  _ bad _ . Badder than my Mom used to be- and  _ Ugly _ too. But it's okay! My Mama fought him and won, and now he isn't here anymore." 

The girl nodded eagerly, leaning forward in her seat to hear more. 

"So they fought, but then my Mama saved my Mom and brought her on their spaceship again, and then they flied back to the planet to stop the big bad guy from mind controlling everyone else."

"Wait, but I thought they were enemies?" One of the boys in the class questioned. 

"Yeah!" Another child chimed in 

"They  _ were _ " Finn conceded, standing up again "but my Mom had been alone for a really long time at this point, because she made a lot of bad choices and people were starting to realise, and she missed my Mama, and loved her, even though they were mad at each other."

"So. what happened next?"

"So, then they went to a planet that used to have magic, and my Mama flied around space without a spacesuit and punched holes in some rocks, and they met Melog and brought them back to Etheria too. Melog is a Panther, and they can shapeshift, and gets mad whenever my Mom does."

"Is Melog your pet?" The teacher asked, trying to keep the class engaged, as if they needed any help.

"No!" Finn said adamantly, tail getting indignantly bushy. "They're just Melog."

"Oh, okay."

"And THEN my moms, and Auntie Glimmer and Uncle Bow and Entrapta got back home, and realised that their friends were mind controlled too!"

Gasps could be heard throughout the class. Finn smiled crookedly at the reception. 

"And what happened next?"

"My Mama kicked their butts. Then Uncle Bow stopped the mind control, and HERE is where it gets scary"

"Oh no-"

"Are we gonna get scared?"

"My Auncle says that I shouldn't be scared of  _ Anything." _

"You're all brave to have listened this far you can listen here too." The teacher comforted her students. What she didn't want to admit was thar she was as captivated as they were. 

"Remember the Universe crushing weapon Auntie Glimmer-"

" _ Her Royal Highness, Queen Glimmer-" _

"-Set off before, but that my Mama stopped?"

The class nodded, on the edge of their seats.

"Well, the bad guy- the  _ really _ bad one- he wanted the weapon too. And he was getting it. But, its okay because my Mama had something that could deactivate it, but she wasn't sure if she would survive using it"

"So my Mom got angry at her and left, because she loved her, and didn't want to see her get hurt. But, in the end, she came back, and my Mama was happy to see her, even though the bad guy made her sick so she couldn't stop him.

"She was about to give up, but then my Mom told her she loved her, and my Mama was _so surprised_ and then she said it back and they KISSED and that's how they saved the world."

Some kids 'Aw'-ed, Some gagged. 

The Teacher tried to hold back a laugh. "Finn, this was a lovely story, but I think you're confusing it with the story of She-Ra." 

Finn blinked at their Teacher for a minute "Yeah. That's my Mama."

The class erupted with questions. The Teacher narrowed her eyes at them. 

"Your mom...is She-ra?"

"My  _ Mama  _ is. My Mom is Catra."

Gasps again. 

"Finn, we all loved your story, and would love if you'd tell us another some time, but ly ing isn't a good habit to develop-."

"I'm not lying!" Their tail bristled, as their tiny hands turned into fists at their sides "My moms tell me that story all the time, and they say I should  _ Never  _ lie  _ Ever _ ." 

"Okay," The Teacher tried to quell Finn "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to meet your moms when they come to pick you up."

"You will!"

"Okay, sounds good."

"Sounds Good!" Finn echoed, angrily, as they moved on to the next student, who told a story about the time she rode a horse.

The last thing the Teacher actually ecpected when it was time for the kids to go home was  _ actually _ meeting She-Ra. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't introduce myself earlier-" She-Ra awkwardly (awkwardly? From  _ The _ She-Ra???) ducked into the low-ceiling-ed classroom, before being cut off by a woman beside her, who was the same species as Finn.

"Babe," She nudged She-ra tentatively, and said through clenched teeth "You're still  _ her."  _

" _ Oh."  _ With a flash of light, She-Ra transformed into a much shorter woman, (with less majestic hair, the Teacher had to admit) "Sorry about that. Hope I didn't startle anyone."

The woman beside her rolled her eyes, but smiled and introduced herself as Catra all the same. 

The grin on Finn's face could only be described as positively  _ shit-eating _ as they approached to greet their Moms. The Teacher doesn't think she's ever been quite so mortified in all her experience. Through her embarrassment, she could still tell that this was going to be an Interesting year. 

* * *

"Finn," Adora asked tentatively, holding their hand as they walked back from school. "Why did your class look scared when we walked in?"

"Maybe because you were  _ eight feet tall _ , covered in dirt, and glowing?"

"So? We were running late, and I didn't have time to wash off,"

"You could have bothered to  _ put away the sword _ ."

"I  _ forgot,  _ Catra"

"They weren't scared, Mama," Finn answered, skipping along happily. "They were shocked."

"...and why is that?" Catra looked skeptically down at her child, knowing that the look they wore was not a good sign. 

"Because I told them about that time you saved the world."

Adora startled. "How much did you tell them?"

"All of it. The teacher said I should call Auntie Glimmer  _ Her Royal Highness, Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon,"  _ Finn made a mocking voice when imitating their teacher.

_ " _ But the rest of the class loved it!"

Adora let out a hiss of air, and Catra  _ cackled.  _

"Why don't you Try calling her that, see how she likes it." She suggested, through bouts of laughter. 

"- _ No! _ Finn, you don't have to call Auntie Glimmer anything you don't want to."

"Did she try and make you call Bow  _ Queen Consort Bow of Brightmoon _ or somethi-"

"Oh stars, could you  _ imagine _ "

Finns moms laughed together for a little, and Finn smiled up at them

"So, kid; why'd you do it?" Catra asked them, once she and Adora had calmed down a little. 

"Because. I was nervous, and Perfuma said I should just be honest and tell them about myself, but then I asked Double Trouble-"

"Oh  _ no-" _

"-And they said I needed to 'assert dominance on the normals.' So I did both."

Adora's jaw dropped, and Catra had to stop walking because of how hard she was laughing.

"Finn, honey. Just because we're lucky enough to live in a castle, does  _ not _ make us better or worse than anyone else."

"I know that, Mama. I think Double Trouble meant people who aren't actors."

Catra wheezed at that. Adora tried to keep a straight face, but eventually cracked. 

"Does tha-" Catra interrupted herself by a round of breathless laughter "Does that make you an actor too, Finn?"

"Yeah!"

" _ Oh no."  _ Adora buried her head in her hands, trying to hold back on losing it. Catra crouched down so she was eye level with Finn.

"Kid, you know we love you, right?"

"Yes, Mom.

"A lot "

"And we support anything you want to do with your life!" Adora chimed in, sounding like she'd just been punched in the gut. 

"But please,  _ please _ don't become an actor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came up with the idea while writing this that Finn would probably be a really good storyteller when they got older. They have so many wild stories to tell , and probably the only person in Etheria who qualifies as an Acting tutor as a godparent. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!! This fic has been miraculously easy to write so far, so the next chapter is coming soon!!!

**Author's Note:**

> In which I try and find a reason for them to name their kid Finn ,can find none, and just make one up anyway. 
> 
> Also I think it would be fun, and take a little of the heat off of Noelle after discovering her fanfic if we commented on all fics from now on with "Noelle???" I'm certainly going to in my travels
> 
> Thank you for reading! Update coming soon


End file.
